BOW VALLEY – Get your popcorn ready.
Pine Tree Players is launching the Bow Valley Quaranfilm Festival aimed at filling the gap provided by the absence of the company’s annual one-act play festival, which cannot currently be presented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the one-act play festival, we’ve got 10 different plays, x-amount of different actors, production and the audience members milling around. We realized quite early on that this would not be possible,” said Quaranfilm Festival creator Lauren Hawkeye.
“So we decided to host a film festival instead. We have a lot of really creative people living here in the Bow Valley, so we are excited to see what people can come up with.”
The local film festival is open to anyone living in Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Exshaw, Dead Man’s Flats, Lac des Arcs, Stoney Nakoda and Harvie Heights. Each film submitted must include at least one cast or crew member from one of the Bow Valley communities.
The films selected for screening will be eligible for reimbursement of up to $50 in fees and expenses generated in the creation of their film. This can include, but is not limited to, editing software, royalty-free video or images, script editing and props.
However, Hawkeye is encouraging creatives to use what they have at their disposal, especially when it comes to film equipment.
“We are encouraging people to use what they’ve got. So if you have an old camcorder from the '80s – dust it off, or use a camera, or even your iPhone,” said Hawkeye.
“Props too, see what you have lying around your house. I think most people would be surprised at what they have around their house.”
The films must be a minimum of five minutes long to a maximum of 15 minutes and must be accompanied by a 20-30 second trailer to be used on social media.
Before the judging process takes place, the films will be screened by the two-to-three members of the Pine Tree Players board to determine suitability for the community audience.
Approved films will then be submitted to a judging panel of five people drawn from the local arts community, of whom at least one member must self-identify as a person of colour, and at least one must self-identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+2S community.
“We want to have a sense of diversity and inclusion on the judging panel," Hawkeye said. "The more diversity from people with different backgrounds we have on the panel – the more fair the judging will be.”
The panel of judges will select first-place winners and runners-up from three categories: comedy, drama, and horror.
Hawkeye said the festival is all about nurturing people’s creativity during this unprecedented time.
“If you have never made a movie before, that’s not a problem," she said. "What we care about, is seeing where your creativity takes you and the audience.”
There will also be an audience favourite award for the favourite overall film, which will be determined by online voting, or ballot voting, at the screening event, should it be an in-person festival.
“We are still determining whether the event will be in-person or online and that all has to do with the ever-changing COVID restrictions," Hawkeye said. "If we can safely hold an in-person event that would be great, if not that’s OK too, but that decision will be made at the time of the event.”
The screening and awards event will take place on Friday (Feb. 26).
Visit filmfreeway.com/BVQuaranfilmFestival for more information about the film festival.
